Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 throws its player in the most lively version of NYC we’ve ever gotten to swing around. And to keep up with the hustle and bustle of it all, we’re given some new unique abilities to get around just as fast as you’d need to as the city’s hero.
Theres a ton of new mechanics to unpack, in addition to more than a few changes to its combat. I love all of the new traversal mechanics. Not only do they feel organic to use, but they make getting around more exhilarating than it was in the first game… which is wild considering how fantastic it was to begin with.
The combat is still incredible. The skill trees are wonderful. I loved using the Symbiote suits. The combat feels friggin awesome. I can also understand why they chose to replace or change certain elements of the combat mechanics to fit with the way the new suits work. I can’t deny that I do still miss the old web mechanic. Choosing which webs I wanted to use while fighting my enemies was really nice.
But hey, if I want that combat mechanic so bad I can just go play the other two amazing games instead. I love that I can play as Peter or Miles at almost anytime. There’s just enough different about the two of them to keep the combat distinguishable. I do wish the story had more Miles involved, as it was very Peter heavy… but considering the direction it looks like they’re taking, I probably won’t have that complaint forever.
They try juggling so much here, and while so much of it is fun, I do think the narrative lacks some substance as a result. It’s a real shame considering how strong of an emotional core both of the other two games have. I think it also suffers from an over abundance of cliché character writing. I couldn’t buy into certain character emotions as they felt like a hard left turn from what we’d been seeing throughout the game… and the buildup didn’t necessitate the changes.
It also worries me for the future as there’s a lot that’s been set up going forward… and I’d love if they stripped things back a little bit and focus on a more singular character driven story the next time around. Not to pretend like this wasn’t character driven. Just a little unfocused.
The pacing isn’t the best either. There’s like, no boss battles in the first half of the game, and nothing but boss battles in the back half. It was really strange. But shiiiit. Every one of them was really damn good. There’s so much goddamn potential for this to reach the narrative heights of the first game… I just think it gets in its own way of doing so. Regardless, it’s a hell of an experience. One that I feel lucky, and honored to have been through.
I have so many thoughts and feelings that I’m having a difficult time putting into words, so I’ll keep it short. While it’s got its issues, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does get enough right between its gameplay and story to be a memorable and thrilling experience for any fan of the character, along with those who just want to play a great video game.
Theres a ton of new mechanics to unpack, in addition to more than a few changes to its combat. I love all of the new traversal mechanics. Not only do they feel organic to use, but they make getting around more exhilarating than it was in the first game… which is wild considering how fantastic it was to begin with.
The combat is still incredible. The skill trees are wonderful. I loved using the Symbiote suits. The combat feels friggin awesome. I can also understand why they chose to replace or change certain elements of the combat mechanics to fit with the way the new suits work. I can’t deny that I do still miss the old web mechanic. Choosing which webs I wanted to use while fighting my enemies was really nice.
But hey, if I want that combat mechanic so bad I can just go play the other two amazing games instead. I love that I can play as Peter or Miles at almost anytime. There’s just enough different about the two of them to keep the combat distinguishable. I do wish the story had more Miles involved, as it was very Peter heavy… but considering the direction it looks like they’re taking, I probably won’t have that complaint forever.
They try juggling so much here, and while so much of it is fun, I do think the narrative lacks some substance as a result. It’s a real shame considering how strong of an emotional core both of the other two games have. I think it also suffers from an over abundance of cliché character writing. I couldn’t buy into certain character emotions as they felt like a hard left turn from what we’d been seeing throughout the game… and the buildup didn’t necessitate the changes.
It also worries me for the future as there’s a lot that’s been set up going forward… and I’d love if they stripped things back a little bit and focus on a more singular character driven story the next time around. Not to pretend like this wasn’t character driven. Just a little unfocused.
The pacing isn’t the best either. There’s like, no boss battles in the first half of the game, and nothing but boss battles in the back half. It was really strange. But shiiiit. Every one of them was really damn good. There’s so much goddamn potential for this to reach the narrative heights of the first game… I just think it gets in its own way of doing so. Regardless, it’s a hell of an experience. One that I feel lucky, and honored to have been through.
I have so many thoughts and feelings that I’m having a difficult time putting into words, so I’ll keep it short. While it’s got its issues, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does get enough right between its gameplay and story to be a memorable and thrilling experience for any fan of the character, along with those who just want to play a great video game.